PD Guide

Postural & Gait Disturbances

Motor symptoms inherent to Parkinson's disease include stooped posture, postural instability and gait disturbances characterized by reduced stride, decreased arm swing (asymmetric at first, then usually bilateral), en bloc turning (as opposed to pivoting), freezing, festination (the tendency to continue accelerating once started) and falls.  It has been hypothesized that PD patients presenting with a prominent postural instability and gait disorder (PIGD-PD) constitute a PD subtype that may result from specific etiological processes.